As an esthetician, I know how much confusion surrounds figuring out skin type. Many first-time clients would be eager for me to look at their skin and give them an answer. The truth is, categorizing your skin into one specific skin type is setting yourself up for disaster. Now, let me clarify this by saying, yes, I absolutely believe our genetics determine tendencies our skin will have. And as a general guide, knowing these tendencies is helpful in taking care of our skin and deciding what products/ingredients/treatments might work or not work.
Where I feel like people fall into the “skin type” trap is when they assume that’s how their skin will always be and then blindly buy/use products according to this. Don’t fall into that trap! Here’s why.
There are a variety of factors which will affect our skin, with the main 5 being:
- Age
- Lifestyle
- Environment/Climate
- Medication
- Pregnancy and Postpartum/Breastfeeding
Age–As we age, skin typically produces less oil and becomes drier. And with dryness usually comes sensitivity, since the skin barrier is more fragile. So even if skin was typically on the oilier side, it’s safe to assume oil production levels will decrease as aging progresses.
Lifestyle–Lifestyle has a huge impact on how skin behaves. Smoking, too much alcohol, poor diet, excessive sun exposure, no exercise, too little sleep, stress, poor water intake, etc. The way these negatively impact the skin can result in dehydrated/drier skin, breakouts/over-production of oil, and/or increased sensitivity.
Environment/Climate–Where we live and places we travel to will impact our skin. In dry and/or cold climates, skin will be drier and more sensitive. In climates that are humid and warm, skin tends to produce more oil and may lead to more congestion and breakouts. In addition to the climate, air quality and pollution also affects the skin. High levels of pollution can be irritating to the skin, potentially causing it to be more sensitive.
Medication–Different medications can have a wide array of side effects on the skin. Increased oil production, sensitivity, dryness, photosensitivity and reactivity to stressors are all possible side effects that can be the result of different medications.
Pregnancy/Postpartum/Breastfeeding–Pregnancy and the postpartum/breastfeeding phase involve a major fluctuation of hormones that can impact skin. Increased oil production, acne, sensitivity, discoloration and dryness are all potential side effects that can arise during pregnancy and/or the postpartum/nursing phase.
Taking into account these 5 variables, it’s almost inevitable that we will experience one or all of these at some point in our lives. It’s important to stay in tune with your skin and pay attention to what it’s telling you on a daily basis. Take note of patterns you notice in your skin and whenever you detect major changes or reactions, try to understand what caused it instead of looking for products to “fix” it.
Although it can seem confusing to not categorize your skin into one specific type, getting out of this mindset will actually be a lot less confusing for you in the long run. If you label your skin as one type and only take care of it according to that label, it’s inevitable this regimen will stop agreeing with you. I saw this happen often with clients who would come in frustrated and confused. They’d say things like “I used to always do xyz, but lately I’ve been experiencing *insert negative side effect* and I don’t know why!” The key takeaway here is to use your skin type as a general guideline, and in conjunction with that, be intentional about listening to and observing your skin on a daily basis.